1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an insufflation pump.
2. Description of the Related Art
Insufflators are devices employed by certain medical specialties, such as Interventional Radiology and Cardiology, for expanding specialized catheters containing inflatable balloons. These balloons containing vascular catheters are typically utilized for a specific purpose, that is, for the performance of angioplasty. Angioplasty is performed to dilate arteries, veins and other closed, tubular structures within the body. These additional structures may include the biliary tree, ureters, kidneys, as well as other tissue which needs to be expanded radially. Most recently, with the advent of Kyphoplasty for the repair of vertebral compression fractures of the spine, balloon catheters have been used to expand compressed bone.
Currently, available insufflators are filled with a mixture of radiopaque contrast material and sterile saline during a procedure. This mixture allows the angioplasty balloon to be observed under fluroroscopy by the operating physician, and its precise location can be directly observed in real time. In addition, the response of the vessel to angioplasty can be monitored indirectly by viewing the form of the angioplasty balloon using fluroroscopy: a narrow balloon suggests a poorly dilated vessel while a fully expanded balloon suggests a successfully dilated vessel.
All available insufflators require two hands for operation: one to hold the body of the insufflator, while the other either activates a screw down device or a plunging type device. Pressure developed, often in atmospheres, may be read by a pressure gauge on the device. A second physician, or technician, is needed to hold the angioplasty catheter in the proper position during the angioplasty procedure and inflation of the balloon. If the angioplasty catheter is not firmly held in position, it can leap forward or backward off the vascular plaque. This results in, as a best-case scenario, inadequate angioplasty due to improper balloon placement, or in the worse scenario, vessel dissection and possible death.
The practice of modern medicine often employs the placement of catheters into the body for various purposes. These might include vascular, peripherally inserted central catheters for short and long term venous access, tunneled catheters for hemodialysis, subcutaneous port-catheters for chemotherapy, and central venous catheters. Catheters are also placed for drainage purposes. This includes, but is not limited to, catheters placed for abscess drainage, catheters placed to drain obstructed kidneys, urinary bladders, gallbladder and biliary systems. Catheters are also placed in the gastrointestinal tract for feeding purposes.
A catheter is simply a hollow plastic tube, or conduit, through which the aforementioned body fluid may pass. The various catheters, as described above, lie in various body locations and drain body fluids, such as blood, bile, urine, and abscess fluid. The outer end of the catheter may be connected to tubing, capped, or connected to various drainage devices. Regardless of the medium into which the catheter is placed or its intended usage, all temporary or permanent catheters must be periodically flushed or drained to ensure proper function and flow; that is, to prevent catheter occlusion from clotted blood and other bodily fluid both in and around the catheter. Certain vascular catheters must be properly flushed to prevent blood clot formation around the catheter which may become life threatening and necessitate the removal and subsequent replacement of the catheter.
The current solution to this problem is to perform scheduled flushing of the catheter, usually with sterile saline. This is accomplished by a nurse partially filling a syringe with saline, then screwing it onto the catheter and then “pulling back” on the syringe to observe flow from the catheter, then flushing it with several cc of sterile saline. With certain catheters, this may need to be performed 3 to 4 times per day. This can become quite labor intensive for hospitalized as well as nursing home patients. In the outpatient setting, it can become quite a time consuming task since a visiting nurse is often needed to tend to daily catheter care.